When I turned to my social media channels after the bombing, among the news updates and messages from friends telling us they were safe, I saw many people repeating Fred Rogers’ account of his mother advice to “Look for the helpers” in times of disaster. Certainly the city of Boston is filled with helpers–people who ran to help the injured, investigate the bombing, open their homes to strangers. It comforts me to know that they are there, that there is light in darkness. It also reminds me that, while we may see it most clearly in times of violence and sorrow, the darkness is always with us. We are always called to bear witness to the Light, and to serve one another.
Brother, sister, let me serve you, let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant too.
We are pilgrims on a journey. We are brothers on the road.
We are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load.
I will hold the Christ-light for you in the night time of your fear.
I will hold my hand out to you; speak the peace you long to hear.
I will weep when you are weeping; when you laugh, I’ll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow till we’ve seen this journey through.
When we sing to God in heaven, we shall find such harmony,
Born of all we’ve known together of Christ’s love and agony.
Words and music: Richard Gillard, copyright 1977.
Here’s the composer singing his own song. It sounds quite different from all the pipe organ versions I found–more lyrical and interesting. The video description notes that Gillard is using a Drop D tuning with the capo at the first fret.
